Meet Racquel Barnes, a 2002 Rowan graduate. She is here to share her story about Wellness in the Workplace, and how Rowan helped set her up for success in owning three businesses. To build an educational foundation like Racquel’s, consider a bachelor’s in wellness management or public health and wellness, or a business degree in entrepreneurship.
How Rowan Prepared Her
As a national board certified integrative health coach, and CEO, Racquel credits a lot of her success to her educational experience at Rowan University. “My education at Rowan really helped to cultivate who I have become and what I do now. There were a variety of courses and things that helped showcase what health and wellness is all about. There is so much more than the physical elements of this.” Not only that, Racquel participated in an internship at a Camden Drug Rehabilitation Facility, which helped to give her the confidence she needed to communicate and work closely with people.
Early Influences & Foundation
During high school, Racquel strived to be involved in anyways that she could. As a cheerleader and track athlete, staying involved in sports sparked her passion for health and wellness. From an entrepreneurship perspective, Racquel participated in a business course with friends, which gave her a healthy sense of real-world competition, while having something to look forward to.
Her Three Businesses Today
While all three of her businesses have their own ‘identities,’ there is cohesiveness amongst all of them. “It’s really nice in the organizations to see expansion and to see how we have taken something so small and then be able to offer it to different people and different communities.” Her businesses will participate in retreats and wellness workshops. Last year, Racquel took a group of people to Jamaica and hosted their first international retreat there for a week.
Raquel elaborates on her goals: “The impact that I strive for is to bring hope and peace to each of my clients, and to allow them to be themselves. I want to create a world where there’s not much judgement, where people can show up and begin to understand their strengths. A lot of time, we focus so much on weaknesses that people are afraid to be themselves. I envision a world where people can take their strengths and have them highlighted, while feeling supported, heard, and valued. I want to create those spaces in the educational system, not just for educators, but for students in urban communities. I want people to feel like they matter, and can build upon their own ideas.”
When focusing on her personal life, Racquel prioritizes a holistic health and wellness approach to her daily practices. She does a lot of internal check-ins with herself, focusing on mindfulness and emotional, as well as mental health. “I take a deep breath, refocus, and reground myself, especially when life begins to feel chaotic.”
Written by: Jordyn Dauter, senior double major in dance & elementary education